Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Owen Sound

For one person, living is cheaper in Owen Sound: $2,036 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Owen Sound
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Owen Sound Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Owen Sound

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,036

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Owen Sound

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seattle, WA and in Owen Sound actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,036 in Owen Sound.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Owen Sound $2,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,109 in Owen Sound.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Owen Sound $3,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,181 in Owen Sound.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Owen Sound $4,181

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 87% more expensive than in Owen Sound, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Owen Sound 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$14.16 CA$20.01

78.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$47.95 CA$67.8

111.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$8.97 CA$12.68

65.55%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.39 CA$4.80

94.40%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.04 CA$2.88

57.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.60 CA$2.26

96.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.10 CA$5.79

99.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.67 CA$8.02

41.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.39 CA$3.38

-49.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.82 CA$3.99

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.33 CA$4.71

89.19%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.29 CA$6.07

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.22 CA$13.03

107.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$15.78 CA$22.31

17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$23.44 CA$33.13

-1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.94 CA$9.81

-16.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.83 CA$2.58

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.47 CA$4.90

52.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.91 CA$4.11

122.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.44 CA$3.45

46.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.15 CA$4.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.21 CA$3.12

28.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.24 CA$1.76

95.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.23 CA$18.70

-3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.91 CA$22.49

-5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.33 CA$6.12

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.82 CA$6.81

24.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.06 CA$2.91

47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$60.4 CA$85.4

82.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.63 CA$6.54

-44.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$24.97 CA$35.30

18.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.13 CA$1.60

25.66%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.7K $35.7K

$26.9K CA$38.1K

32.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.3K CA$25.9K

39.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$299 $299

$96.9 CA$137

208.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$29.25 CA$41.35

142.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$48.57 CA$68.7

81.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$113 CA$160

-29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$40.78 CA$57.7

-13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.57 CA$10.71

126.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$466 CA$658

547.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$6,989 CA$9,880

352.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$34.58 CA$48.88

123.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$26.86 CA$37.97

105.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$86.3 CA$122

45.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$105 CA$148

54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,336 CA$1,888

84.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$885 CA$1,251

121.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,161 CA$3,055

118.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,577 CA$2,229

125.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,951 CA$4,171

113.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.39

27.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Owen Sound: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Owen Sound

$885 43.5% 54.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Owen Sound

$434 21.3% 19.9% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Owen Sound

$175 8.6% 61.9% $283

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Owen Sound

$227 11.2% 44.4% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Owen Sound

$114 5.6% 39.9% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Owen Sound

$73 * 3.6% 44.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Owen Sound

$128 6.3% 12.6% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,336 in Owen Sound. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 113% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $48.00 in Owen Sound for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $434 per month, with Owen Sound cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Owen Sound

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

22:43 10:43 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

21,341

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Owen Sound 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs Owen Sound: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Owen Sound is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 113% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,336 in Owen Sound. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Owen Sound – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,036 in Owen Sound – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,036 in Owen Sound versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Owen Sound but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Owen Sound the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Owen Sound is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Owen Sound are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Owen Sound gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.